Door to Door Organics launches pilot loan program with Longmont's Full Circle Farms

By Tony KindelspireLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
05/27/2013 07:21:39 PM MDT

Updated:
05/27/2013 07:22:46 PM MDT

Mike Meader waters melon plants at a Full Circle Organic Farms greenhouse on Monday. The farm recently secured a $50,000 loan from Door to Door Organics to make it through the rough early part of the growing season.
(
Greg Lindstrom
)

LONGMONT -- Helping local organic farmers through the lean times of year is the goal behind a new partnership between Longmont's Full Circle Organic Farms and Louisville-based Door to Door Organics. If successful, the program may be expanded with other farms in other locations, according to Door to Door.

The company, which delivers produce and other goods to people's doorsteps along the Front Range and in eight other states, has given a $50,000 loan to Dave Asbury, owner of Full Circle Farms. The interest-free loan came out of discussions between Asbury and representatives with Door to Door earlier this year.

"They asked me how they could help me and I said, 'How about giving me some money?'" Asbury said. "There's a crunch spot in the business we're in -- it's the tight spot before you start selling enough to cover your expenses. They call it the 'June Blues' in the produce business, and it comes every year."

Farms that offer Community Supported Agriculture programs take pre-payment from members of the public that gets them, in return, a certain "share" of a farm's crop at the end of the year. That's one way some farms make it through this lean time of year, Asbury said.

But Full Circle isn't a CSA, so his options have always been to either dig into his own pocket -- his preference -- or apply for a bank loan.

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The $50,000 from Door to Door takes the stress of that decision away, he said.

"We know we'll sell them much more than that back in produce," Asbury said.

Full Circle Farms has been one of Door to Door Organics' suppliers since the company launched eight years ago. Over that time, the delivery company has expanded to serve nine states with four regional headquarters: the Front Range, Kansas City, Chicago and Philadelphia, according to Bret Ebel, its Colorado location director.

"We wanted to try this this year with this farmer," Ebel said. "And if it goes well we want to expand this in future years with other farms."

Ebel said that many of the issues its organic farmers face are similar, no matter where they are located geographically. And anything his company can do to make their jobs easier benefits both sides because they are somewhat reliant on each other.

"It's really all about supporting the farmer," Ebel said. "We worked with Grant (Family) Farms for years and years -- they were one of the largest growers and suppliers in the state. And seeing them go bankrupt this year was really worrisome. We didn't want to see that happen to anybody else."

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